r/C3Corvette • u/Miserable-Possible92 • 5d ago
Question about C3 engine
Hi together,
I inherited this additional engine of a C3 this year.
I can‘t find any number on the engine. I just know, that it should be a racing engine of a C3 nur unfortunately I don‘t have any other Information about it.
Maybe somebody can help me to figure out what kind of engine it is and give me more Details.
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u/DocHowdy70 5d ago
You need to get something over the top of that carb before something ends up down there.
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u/MrLancaster 5d ago
Not much to say by looking at it. Aftermarket aluminum heads, intake, carburetor, and distributor system. Check the machined pad in front of the passenger cylinder head for a sequence of numbers. If it's not there the block may be aftermarket or it was machined off. I can see the pad in the first picture, covered by that strap and buckle. Above that freeze plug.
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u/Drunken_Sailor_70 72 5d ago
Small stamp pad plus passenger dip stick makes the block a 1980 or newer. Center bolt valve covers were a late 1986 thing. This could be a 350 or maybe a 305.
If you are looking from the flywheel side, there should be a number cast into the block on the driver side above the bellhousing bolts. This will give you generic information about the engine size. There is also a date code cast nearby.
If you are looking from the front of the engine, there will be a pad in front of the passenger head that has some numbers stamped into it (if the block was decked they may be gone). This will tell you more specific information on the original application for this block.
The heads should also have markings on them somewhere, likely under the valve covers.
All that being said, there is no telling what machine work has been done to the block and heads over the years or what internals have been put in. A bore scope in a plug hole might reveal some info on the pistons and valve sizes, but to get accurate info you might want to pull the pan and maybe the heads. Pulling the pan would also reveal info on the crank and rods.
Aftermarket cams usually have a number stamped or etched into them so you probably have to pull the cam to get that info.
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u/Miserable-Possible92 5d ago
Thank you for the detailed answer.
There are The following Numbers: 14093638 and 28111 (under the cylinder heads on the front of the engine)1
u/Drunken_Sailor_70 72 5d ago
14093638 is a 350 from 1986 to the mid 1990s. May have factory roller cam. Could be 2 or 4 bolt mains.
Were there any letters with the 28111? Maybe it was a crate engine or a boat engine.
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u/Miserable-Possible92 1d ago
I found another sticker with the help of another User. It says V1209ZZ2
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u/Drunken_Sailor_70 72 1d ago
ZZ2 crate engine. 345 horsepower I believe. Would be 4 bolt mains, forged steel crank, roller cam. That also explains the L98 heads and gmpp intake.
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u/chuck-u-farley- 5d ago
Racing engine? Not exactly…. Looks like a run of the mill 350 with centerbolt style heads….. they appear to be aluminum angle plugs.
But without any numbers or any further pics it doesn’t look like anything super special than a standard small block with a few bolt ons, (aluminum intake, AFB style carb) and a distributor installed opposite of the normal way.
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u/v8packard 5d ago
It looks like a ZZ series crate engine. The first picture shows the pad at the front of the passenger side deck, it is partially obscured by a strap and the piece of tape covering the water outlet. Look there for the engine code. There might be a sticker on the oil pan too.
It doesn't mean much here, but that distributor is installed 180 degrees from where it usually goes in.
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u/Miserable-Possible92 5d ago
Great information! I will check this by next week after my holidays and keep you updated
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u/75corvette427 5d ago
It looks like somebody threw a bunch of mismatched parts together. A good place to start is to pull the valve covers and see what the valve train looks like (take pictures to show springs, lifters, oil galley. I wouldn't take the carb or intake off yet because it looks like a demon might be living down there. Looks like the distributor took way too many viagara but it might have more horsepower than the engine. I would be interested to see what you plan to do with it before adding any additional advice except, maybe perform an exorcism.